Em broidering-machin e



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet l. J. IRISH. BMBROIDERING MACHINE.

No. 456,573. Patented July 28, 1891.`

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.v

J. IRISH. EMBROIDERING MACHINE. N0.456,573. A Patented July 28,1891.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

J. IRISH.

BMBROIDBRING MAGHINE. No. 456,573. Patented July 28, 1891.

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(No Model.) 4 sheetssheet 4.

J. IRISH.

BMBROIDERING MACHINE.

No. 456,573. Patented July 28, 1891.

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"UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.`

JOSEPH IRISH, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

EMBROlDERlNG-IVIACHINE.`

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,573, dated July 28,1891.

Application tiled November 1, 1890. Serial No. 370,046. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH IRISH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inEmbroidering-lllachines5 and I do hereby declare the following to be afull,Y clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements inembroidering-machines of which the wellknown Swiss and Hamburg machinesare types. In these machines a frame for the support of the fabric to beembroidered is so hung as to be freely movable in any direction withincertain limits, and it has been usual in such machines to socounterbalance the frame by means of one or more weights that theoperative may move it freely as 'the pattern requires without theexercise of undue strength. The weights heretofore employed are founddisadvantageous for several reasons, but particularly because of thefact that when the frame is started their acquired inertia is apt tocarry theV frame beyond the point at which it is desired to stop it andwhen checked in its movement said weight imparts a slight vibratory orshaking movement to the frame.

It is the obj ect-of my present invention to dispense with the weightand to substitute in place thereof a spring counter-balance, which,while effectively taking up the weight of the frame, shall be free fromthe objections heretofore recited.

Itis furthermore an object of my invention to arrange for the adjustmentand regulation of the spring so as to vary its action and poweraccording to the load imposed thereon; and with these ends in view myinvention consists in the construction and combination of co-operativeelements hereinafter' fully eX- plained and set forth, and then recitedin the claims.

In order that such persons as are skilled in the art to which myinvention appertains may fully understand its construction and method ofoperation, I will describe the same 1n ldetail, reference being hadtothe accom panylng d1'a\\'i11gs,wl1ich form a part of thisspecification, and in which- Figure l is a front elevation showing apart of an embroidery-machine equipped in accordance with my invention,the front girder being partially broken away; Fig. 2, a detail sectiontaken longitudinally through the counter-balance, certain parts beingshown in elevation; Fig. 3, atransverse section through the girders,showing the counter-balance in end elevation 5 Fig. a, a detail endelevation of the bearing shown at the right of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, amodification of theconstruction shown at the preceding figures. v

Like numerals and letters of reference denote the same parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. l, A represents theembroidery-frame, upon which a roll of cloth is shown as stretched anddenoted by the letter B, This frame is adapted to be raised and loweredand carried either tothe right or left or moved in any direction withincertain limits by means of a system of pantographic levers lettered C,and arranged and adapted to be operated n any ordinary or usual manner.

As the frame and the means for giving thereto the appropriate movementsform no part of my present invention, it is thought unnecessary to enterinto any detailed description of them in this specilication.

l represents longitudinallyextended girders, which are part of thesupporting framework of the machine. These are two in number and areparallel. l

2 are rectangular open hangers bolted or otherwise secured to the frameAand extend'- ing upward between the girders. The crossbar 3 at the topof each of these hangers constitutes a track, which is supported and maymove upon a wheel 4, whereby the limited longitudinal movement of theframe relative to these wheels may be had. This is the ordinaryconstruction in machines of this class.

5 and G denote the counterbalance-levers, each carrying one of thewheels 4 upon iis outer end. Said levers are fulcrumed near theircenters upon brackets 7, supported upon the girders. From the extremityof the lever 5 depend a pair of links 8 of considerable length, andbetween these links, links 9 con- IOO nect the inner extremity of thelever G with the outer extremity of the lever 5. This constructionappears at Fig. 3.

The base for the support of the counterbalancing device consists, asshown at Figs. 2 and 3, of a pair of clamps 11, which encircle and arefirmly held upon the girders 1. Projecting inward from the side plates13 of this base are two wedge-shaped fulcrums 12, and below these andsupported between said plates is a slotted bearing-plate 14. (Shown atFigs. 2, 3, and 4.) An open housing` 15 abuts against the rear surfaceof the plate 14, and is vertically adjustable relative thereto by meansof a set-screw 16,as shown at Figs, 2 and 3.

17 denotes a pair of levers (although so secured together as to form asingle element) whose outer extremities are pivoted,as at 18, to thelower ends of the links 8, and whose inner ends are dovetailed, as shownat Fig. 2, and rest against the edge of the wedge-shaped bearing-bar 12.Both of these levers are Vtransversely slotted near one end, as shown at1 9, and ablock 2O extends across through the slots of both levers. Bymeans of an adjusting-screw 2l this block may be held in any desiredposition in these slots.

22 are rods whose outer ends pass through the block 20 and are held asagainst longitudinal movement by nuts 23, and whose inner ends carry ahead 24.

25 is a rod extending inward between the rods 22 from the oppositedirection. It passes loosely through the head 24 and carries a head 26upon its inner end, through which in like manner the rods 22 passfreely. The outer end of this rod 25 extends through the bearing-plate14 and housing 15 and carries a wedge-shaped rocker 27, whose edge isseated in a transverse notch formed in the rear face of the housing.

l28 is a spiral spring, which is compressed lengthwise between the heads24 and 26 and surrounds the three rods 22 25.

From the foregoing description it will be' observed that when the frameis lowered and the inner ends of the levers 5 6 raised the tWo levers 17will be raised as to their outer ends upon their fulcrum-point againstthe bearing 12. As such a movement necessarily increases the distancebetween the rocker 27 and the block 20, it follows that whenever thefabric-frame is lowered the spring 28 will be compressed between theheads 24 26 in proportion to the distance traversed by the frame. Whenthe direction of movement of the frame is reversed and it is raised, theexpanding action of the spring in its effort to return to its normalposition will assist the the attendant in raising the frame. In practicethe strength of the spring is so adjusted relative to the weight of theframe as to practically counterbalance the latter; but in order that anyslight differences between the strength of the spring and the weight ofthe frame may be equalized I have provided the adjustments at each endof the springnamely, the screws 16 21-by means of which either thehousing 15 maybe raised and lowered at the rear of the plate 14 or theblock 2O may be moved in the slots of lever 17, wherein it is seated. Inaddition to these adjustments the spring may be further varied instrength by means of the nuts which are shown upon the ends of the rods.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modification of the construction in thepreceding figures. This consists simply in the substitution for thecompression-spring of a spring adapted to operate by extension. Its modeof action being simply a reversal of that of the spring shown in theother views, it is thought that no further description thereof isneeded.

In this my invention I do not wish to be confined to the precise detailsof construction herein shown and described, since these may be freelychanged and widely varied without departing from the essentials of myinvention which I deem to be commensurate with the terms of the clausesot' claims here following.

I claim- 1. In an embroidering-machine, the combination, with thecounterbalance-levers, of a spring interposed between said levers andsome fixed parts of the machine, and means for effecting the compressionand for regulating the expansion of said spring in direct proportion tothe movement of said counterbalance-levers, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with thefixed frame-work, the movable cloth-holding frame, and thecounterbalance-levers, of the compressible and expansible springinterposed between the fixed frame-work and the counterbalance-levers,and means, as described, whereby said spring is acted upon by saidlevers and in turn acts upon said levers, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a machine of the character described, with thefixed framework, the movable fabric-holding frame, and thecounterbalance-levers, of a spiral spring, a fixed bearing for one endof the spring, and a movable lever connected to thecounterbalance-levers and provided with a bearing for the other end ofthe spring, substantially as described.

4. The combination, in a machine of the character described, with thefixed framework, the counterbalance levers, and the movable frame, ofthe compressible spring having a fulcrum bearing in the fixed frame forone end thereof, a lever also fulcruined to the fixed frame and providedwith a bearing for the other end of the spring, and suitable connectionsbetween said lever and the counterbalance-levers, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a machine of .the character described, the combination, with thefixed frame-work,

the movable frame for holding the fabric, and,

the counterbalance-levers, of the spiral spring,

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the compressing-rods extending through said spring in oppositedirections, a rocking fulcrurn for one of said rods on the fixed frame,a lever fulcruined to the frame and having` a seat for the othercompressing-rods, and a connection between said lever and thecounterbalance-levers, all arranged as described, and for the purposespecified.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with themovable frame and the counterbalance-levers, of a lever having a bearingon the frame and connected to said counterbalance levers, and acompressionspring connected to and acted upon by said lever in onedirection and adapted in turn to act upon said lever by expansion,substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the girders forming part of the permanentframe-Work, of the base supported between said girders, the levers 17',fulcruined to the base, suitable conscribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH IRISH. Vitnesses:

SHERMAN HARTWELL HUBBARD, M. C. IIINCHGLIFFE.

